When an independent pizza restaurant sits next to an international chain and the local place is packed, you know folks there are doing something right.

At Cerroni's Purple Garlic, the combination of house-baked bread, fresh vegetables, reasonable prices and a staff that cares about serving good food and doing things right add up to a line that, for a few moments, almost stretched out the front door.

Diners came for items such as an outstanding meat lasagna, which layered spicy Italian sausage and pepperoni with ricotta and mozzarella, topped with plenty of marinara sauce. The menu says it has 16 layers. You'll be too busy enjoying it to want to count.

The fresh bread stars in items such as the bruschetta, which tops toasted bread with a mix of diced tomatoes, bits of basil and chunky garlic, all in a balsamic vinaigrette. Lots of Italian places serve bruschetta, but most other versions of this dish aren't as packed with flavor as this one.

It also more than holds its own with the artichoke spinach dip, which rises above many other versions on the strength of fresh spinach. Usually, this type of appetizer is cheesy and creamy but with barely any flavor of the vegetables. This one, still plenty creamy, emphasizes the spinach and uses the artichoke pieces as an accent. The toasted bread for dipping adds texture and flavor to the appetizer.

The fresh bread also anchors an array of sandwiches. Our group tried the Italian Club, with pepperoni, salami, bacon, provolone, lettuce and tomato. The sprinkle of a housemade Italian dressing sent this sandwich over the top.

This place also deserves commendation on how they handled a mistake. One member of our group got a pizza that included artichoke hearts she didn't ask for. As soon as she brought it to a manager's attention, he immediately offered to make it again, explaining that it would nonetheless take 15 minutes or so. The remade pizza tasted a bit rushed, but that willingness to accept responsibility for a mistake, offer to fix it and say when it would be ready are part of that same pride that creates the excellent bread and lasagna.

Then there's the Italian cream cake, three layers of moist and tender love, with walnuts and a lightly sweet cream cheese frosting. Another example of well-prepared dishes made from scratch.